Responsible Investing

At Fulcrum we strive to be a responsible business both in how we operate as a firm and how we manage our clients' investments.

Responsible Investing

At Fulcrum we strive to be a responsible business both in how we operate as a firm and how we manage our client's investments.

Introduction to Responsible Investing at Fulcrum

At Fulcrum we believe that to be able to act in the best interests of our clients we need to be a responsible investor. By this we mean being transparent about how we manage money and our role as an asset manager. The latter includes considering risks and opportunities resulting from long-term trends such as climate change and other sustainability issues and how these could impact our investments and, ultimately, our clients.

As a signatory to the UN PRI we have publicly stated our support for the integration of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) risks in our investment process as it applies to our investment approach and today this forms an integral part of our investment process where relevant. As a multi-asset investor we invest in a range of instruments with different investment time horizons. We aim to be responsible investors regardless of asset class, though we are conscious that the level of applicability can vary.

We believe that we can meet our investment objectives while investing in a way that respects both people and the planet, which is in line with the new requirements and regulations faced by us and our clients. We would be happy to talk through any interests or questions you might have on how we integrate Responsible Investment at Fulcrum and how we can satisfy your investment objectives.

UN PRI

Fulcrum have been a signatory to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (UN PRI) since 2015. We believe it to be part of our fiduciary responsibility to include the consideration of ESG issues within our investment process. With our focus on delivering stable risk-adjusted returns for our clients, we supplement traditional financial analysis with the evaluation of ESG risks and the potential impact on long-term returns.

Responsible Investment Policy

In 2018 we re-published our Responsible Investment Policy which has the full support of the Board and senior management. We have a Responsible Investment Committee with representatives from different teams across the firm. The Policy looks at how we approach Responsible Investment for our investment strategies and how we work with initiatives such as the UN PRI.

Climate Change

We at Fulcrum are conscious of the many challenges brought by climate change, both today and in the future, and are committed to act to help prevent the worst outcomes. This includes being aware of the risks originating from unsustainable economic activity motivated by mainstream economics’ assumption of unlimited natural resources and we are strong supporters of the initiatives to create a more sustainable world.

One of these initiatives is the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), of which we are signatories, which focuses on financial services' role in mitigating the impact of climate change. We encourage others to join this initiative as it is an important step forward in enabling market forces to drive efficient allocation of capital and to support a smooth transition to a low-carbon economy.

Integrating Responsible Investment in our Strategies

Our approach to integrating Responsible Investment in our strategies is separated into four integration methods. Some are more relevant to certain of our funds or better suited to certain asset classes e.g. Stewardship mainly lends itself to direct equities.

ESG Integration

The consideration of ESG risks and opportunities forms a key part of all our strategies which invest in direct equities. Most of our equity investments are structured to reflect specific themes and the ESG credentials of the theme or related industry form the main part of this integration. We also consider ESG risks and trends where we invest in bonds or currencies.

Stewardship

Where we invest in equities, we are responsible asset owners. More on this can be found below under 'Transparency and Stewardship'.

Impact Investing

We are conscious that the asset management industry can have an important role to play to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals (more below). This includes mitigating climate change, by allocating capital to sectors that have a positive impact. One of our strategies, the Fulcrum Diversified Liquid Alternatives Fund, is particularly conscious of this and, though not a mandated "impact fund", it aims to invest in a way that prioritises sustainability.

Screening

We exclude companies that are involved in Controversial Weapons, Tobacco and Predatory Lending from our investment universe. The details on how we approach this and the limits implemented can be provided on request. We find that these are industries that both we and our clients prefer not to be invested in and we have found that the exclusions do not have a material impact on investment risk or returns over the longer term.

Responsible Investing in Liquid Alternatives

Our Diversified Liquid Alternatives Fund was created with Responsible Investment front of mind from inception. With its multi-asset approach to investing in Real Assets, Alternative Credit and Diversifiers it considers sustainability from many angles and integrates it both through evaluating ESG risks and opportunities, and as a tool for making marginal investment decisions.

UN Sustainable Development Goals

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are 17 global goals created to address a range of social needs while tackling climate change and environmental protection. In order to achieve these goals, substantial investments will be required. Asset managers are asked to incorporate the true cost of unsustainability, to seek out projects with positive impacts as well as require companies to disclose their sustainability profile.

At Fulcrum we give consideration both to how we act as a business (e.g. providing decent work - SDG 8) and the impact our investments might have on society and the planet. To be able to map the positive or negative impact sufficient disclosure by companies is essential and we try to encourage such disclosure though our data providers. As part of our approach to integrating ESG considerations, we seek out companies that act to avoid harm. Some of our strategies also target investments that benefit stakeholders or contribute to solutions to achieving the SDGs.

Transparency and Stewardship

Where we invest in equities we aim to act as responsible investors by voting following independent research by specialists in this area.

Proxy Voting Policy

Our Proxy Voting Policy outlines how we work with Glass Lewis and Broadridge to fulfil our stewardship obligations.

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